Stuart O'Keeffe, TV chef

I am originally from Nenagh, Co Tipperary. . . I grew up always being surrounded by food. My mother would cook three meals a day for the whole family from scratch. After secondary school, I took myself off to Cathal Brugha Street where I did a BA in Culinary Arts.

Now I live both in Ireland and Hollywood.

I ended up in the US . . .because I headed over to work in a hotel in the Napa Valley for two years, before moving to Hollywood to start my career in TV and cooking for celebrities.

The things I miss most about Ireland are. . . Saturday and Sunday morning Irish breakfasts, no matter where you go its just not the same as being back home.

It gives me a buzz. . . when I see people's faces light up when they taste my food at a dinner party.

If I wasn't doing this. . . I'd be working in technology, probably developing iPhone/iPad Apps. I love technology of all kinds. It's a hobby of mine.

The next big thing in food will be. . . gluten-free eating. It seems to becoming more popular and people are turning to gluten-free living because it makes them feel a lot better.

When I'm not working. . . I go to the gym, hike, motorcycle ride to the beach, play lots of tennis and socialise with friends at the weekend.

My earliest food memory is. . . having freshly fried doughnuts at Alton Towers in England when I went there for summer holidays when I was about six years of age. I remember the doughnuts just melting in my mouth and I had never tasted anything so incredible in my life.

The best thing I've ever eaten. . . is the Manly Burger at an establishment called Umami Burger in Los Angeles. It is a burger that has beer-cheddar cheese, smoked salt onion rings and bacon lardons with their special curry-truffle ketchup. It is insanely delicious.

My dream dinner party guests would be. . . Charlize Theron, Bradley Cooper, Tyler Florence, Oprah and Felicity Huffman.

And I'd cook them . . .my favourite dish, red wine four-hour braised short ribs with chilli roasted prawns.

Five things I always have in my pantry are. . . Asian fish sauce, coconut milk, grape seed oil, San Marzano canned tomatoes, varieties of pasta.

I'm passionate about .. . helping others be great in the kitchen.

I'm really good at . .. cooking, and drinking.

I wish I were better at. . . . organisation

I often imagine myself . .. being on my own show in the US. It's a travel show discovering the different regional cooking in America.

Not many people know this about me, but. . . I don't like to cook for myself, I prefer to cook for others or to show others how to cook. It is a lot more fun for me.

My guilty pleasure is. . . barbecue ribs/chicken wings (and the problem is that they are everywhere here in the US)

Stuart O’Keeffe has been co-host on two series of Private Chefs of Beverly Hills, and also has a cooking show on TV3, a new series of which begins in July. He will be doing demonstrations at Taste of Dublin in Iveagh Gardens, June 14th-17th

In conversation with Marie-Claire Digby